Tourniquet
by Jack-Absinthe
Summary: A different take on what happened at the bronze after the death of Darla in Season 1


TITLE: Tourniquet TYPE: Evil, Song, Fluff NOTE: This takes place in Season 1, after Buffy finds out about Angel's secret. I've turned it around a little bit, but it's supposed to be after the battle between them and Darla.  
  
The Scoobies sat at the table as routine, sipping on variety of drinks. It was the Post-Extermination Party and all the roaches seemed to be gone. Buffy held onto her red SOLO cup, the diet Coke within half-empty. She was looking for someone who wasn't there.yet. The music was playing. It was a Misfits' song, "Dig Up Her Bones." Buffy's mind was elsewhere however.  
  
"Buff", Xander interrupted, with Pepsi in hand. "What's a matter?"  
  
Buffy snapped out of her trance. She turned her head round, brushing her golden bangs behind her ear.  
  
"Oh, um, I'm cool. Just, you know."  
  
Willow interjected, holding a cup of Punch in her hands.  
  
"Distracted?" "Yeah. I mean, I haven't seen Angel in so long." "Fiddle-dee-dee, tomorrow's another day." "Xander!" "It's alright, Will. I get it." "I'm just saying, you're beating yourself up over some guy, who happens to be a vampire. It's sorta weird with the whole Vampire Slayer title you got going on."  
  
Buffy looked into her half-empty cup and sighed.  
  
"I'm.I'm going to get some more."  
  
Buffy turned away, heading towards the bar for more refreshments. Meanwhile, Willow gave Xander a scornful glare. He shot back at her with confusion, and a touch of guilt.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That was really insensitive." "Hey, I'm just being honest. You honestly trust him, especially with the whole.ugh thing." "I.I don't know. I just know that Buffy really likes him. A lot." "Yeah, well I'd sleep a whole lot better knowing that he were."  
  
Willow's eyes turned away from her friend to the figure standing behind.  
  
"Uh, Xander." "What?"  
  
Xander turns to see the shadowy figure behind him is the subject of his rant. It is Angel, standing in a black button down with trademark white wife beater.  
  
"If I were what?" he asked in a brooding, monotone manner. Xander's attitude plummeted from bold to embarrassed.  
  
"Oh, um, I." "Listen, you two. You guys know I would never do anything to hurt her, right."  
  
Hesitance crossed each off them. They were not sure whether reply should be a polite, untruthful one, or the honest answer.  
  
"Well" Willow began. "I mean, we know you like her, it's just."  
  
"it's just vampires have the tendency to, you know, gnaw on the necks of fair young maidens and turn them into whores of the Devil."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Each pairs of eyes tended to wander in awkwardness, all of them waiting for Buffy to break it.  
  
Xander tapped on the tabletop impatiently as Willow occasionally lifted her eyes up from her drink and gave Angel a courteous, yet uneasy smile. Her mouth was busy drinking the last drops of Punch. Angel tapped his foot, looking throughout the throng of teenagers. 'Redeemer' was now playing across the sound system. The ones clad in dark migrated to the dance floor while the hip ones flocked back for more drinks.  
  
Angel spoke. "Nice song." "Yeah." Willow responded, her cup now too empty to retrieve anything but air.  
  
Angel's eyes searched through the crowd and honed in towards the bar. He could see his beloved blonde coming back towards the table, drink in hand.  
  
"Sorry I was so long. "Buffy started, setting her now full cup on the tabletop. "The bar was."  
  
She turned and saw behind Xander was the man she had been waiting all night to see. Her eyes sparkled with surprise and longing.  
  
"Packed. Angel.guys, will you excuse us?" Willow began. "No."  
  
Buffy's eyes were fixed on Angel. He began to lead the Slayer away to the dance floor as the song began to change. Willow and Xander sat there, watching their friend embrace someone whose lineage was that of everything she was supposed to hate.  
  
"Problem." Willow finished. She looked horndogly into her cup and showed its hollowness to Xander.  
  
"Please." "Yeah, you just keep an eye on them."  
  
Xander took both her cup and his to the bar. Willow continued to watch the two dance. Images of her and Xander Harris crossed her mind. She sighed and continued to leer.  
  
"I'm made of hair and bone and little teeth, and things I cannot speak.I come on like a crippled plaything, my spine is just a sting."  
  
And so began their waltz, set to Rasputina's cover of 'Tourniquet'.  
  
Their bodies began to move slowly and fluidly. Their dance was a soft one, her eyes in his, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands clutched to her gyrating hips. The light shimmered off her glossed lips and bright blue eyes. An alluring darkness surrounded Angel as the pair danced, at first silently. Buffy then spoke up.  
  
"Angel. I'm.I'm sorry."  
  
"You shouldn't be."  
  
"I should. I blamed you for what happened with my mom and everything and I.I should've trusted you. I mean, if you care about someone, you're supposed to be able to look past what they are and see who they are." "I don't blame you. You're a Slayer. You're supposed to hate me."  
  
"But, I can't. Angel, I've.I have never felt like this before." "Neither have I. Buffy, you're.you're an amazing girl. But, if one of us feels like there's a chance of us hurting each other, not just physically.I don't want to ruin us." "I know."  
  
The pair danced in silence again, their eyes drifting away. Suddenly, Angel halted their dance.  
  
"What's the matter?" Buffy asked. "I.I need some air." "But you don't breath." "I'm sorry, Buffy, but.I can't do this."  
  
Angel broke away from the Slayer, hastily pushing through the crowd towards the back exit.  
  
"Angel, wait!" Buffy shouted. She made her way from the crowd, zooming by Willow and Xander as she fled after the brooding man.  
  
"Buffy!" Xander shouted. "Wait!"  
  
Willow and Xander stood, debating in their heads whether or not to follow.  
  
"Should we go after her?" "No." Willow began. "Maybe they just need to be in a less crowded place." "Yeah, well, she better not turn up with any bite marks, or I will go so Charles Bronson on him!"  
  
Meanwhile, outside in the darkened alley behind the Bronze, Angel was walking away. Rasputina continued to blast outside as Buffy pushed through the metal door.  
  
"If it hurts, baby, please don't cry. Preserve the innocence.I never wanted it to end this way, but flies will lay their eggs."  
  
"Angel! Angel, stop!"  
  
Angel did as he was told. He stopped, and turned around. He saw her standing there, alone in the alley. She slowly walked towards him as he to her. Finally, they were face to face, Buffy's hands cradling her shoulders. There a silence yet again, the only sounds being that of the distant song and the sounds of cars and people far away from their reach. They looked into each others eyes and slowly came together, their arms wrapping around each others body. Their lips gravitated towards each other, finally meeting. Angel's lips were soft, but cold. Buffy's were warm and sumptuous. Buffy's eyes were closed, taking everything in.  
  
"What I wanted, what I needed, what I tried to get for me."  
  
The pair slowly made their way against the brick wall behind a pile of excess wood and metallic trash bins. Their passion became more vehement, their kisses more excited and explosive. Her eyes were still closed. Angel made his way up the arch of her back and to the back of her hair, where he began to tug. He began to tug so much that it interrupted their embrace. As Buffy's eyes burst open in pain, Angel cherubic façade was now nonexistent. All that was left was the face of evil incarnate, with pointed fangs and deep amber colored eyes. Buffy's eyes quickly filled with fear. Before she could act, he grimaced, and sunk his razor sharp fangs into her supple, sophomore neck. She was paralyzed with fear and betrayal. She whimpered as the two sunk to the dampened pavement, her arms and legs twitching, trying struggle.  
  
"Take your hatred out on me, make your victim my neck. You never believed in me.I am your Tourniquet."  
  
He laid her gently upon the pavement, the blood slipping from the twin punctures. She looked up at Angel, blood glazed across his cold, dead, deceitful lips. He stood, retaining his demonic face as he uttered one last phrase.  
  
"That was for Darla."  
  
Back inside, the song ended. Willow and Xander stood, waiting for their companion.  
  
"I'm going to check on her!" Xander exclaimed. "Xander, Buffy can take of her self!"  
  
Xander headed for the back door, with Willow reluctantly following. They moved quickly to the back door and to the alley. They stood there, looking for Buffy, but there was no sign of her.  
  
"Buffy! Buffy, you alright?" Xander shouted.  
  
Willow looked down the alley and saw something peculiar on the wall. As Xander continued to shout, Willow made her way to the end of the alley. She slowly made her way around the trash heap and saw a grotesque sight. She covered her mouth and screamed bloody murder. Xander stopped calling out to Buffy and rushed to see what the matter was.  
  
"What?"  
  
Willow pointed as tears poured out from her eyes. Xander looked and his face went white.  
  
"Oh..oh, no."  
  
The two staggered back. On the wall, the symbol of the Claddagh-two hands holding a heart-was painted on the cold brick wall in blood. On the ground, Bufy Summers, the Vampire Slayer. Her blood covered heart cupped in her dead hands, a gaping, hollow hole now in her bosom. Her eyes were blank, her body still; all that remained were the stains of tears on her cheeks. 


End file.
